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Michelle G.

Verified

Report|7 days ago

Pasta pelican has great food and amazing service. I called in advance and was told I didn't need a reservation but when I got there on a Sunday night I was told I should have made a reservation and received a table without a view...I didn't mind tho

Elicia B.

Verified

Report|7 days ago

Go on a weeknight/make a reservation in order to get a table with a view by the window. Great views!

Catherine P.

Verified

Report|9 days ago

Watch the $ limit, "up to price" for each item. Even if you don't have an item, like a glass of wine, they don't give you a break on exceeding the limit for menu items and you pay the dollars over each limit. It all adds up quickly.

Rebecca F.

Verified

Report|17 days ago

Nice views and professional wait staff. Food was good.

Karen C.

Verified

Report|21 days ago

The food is wonderful & the view is beautiful!!!

Sherwin L.

Verified

Report|21 days ago

Come early and grab a table by the window for a nice view of the waters and the hills during sunset.

PAUL M.

Verified

Report|a month ago

beautiful evening view of Jack London Square. good food and service. definitely will go there again.

Anne S.

Verified

Report|a month ago

Great food!

Mattie J.

Verified

Report|a month ago

Food was good, but service is a little slow. I used the coupon for 4. There were only 3 of us and it should have been easy to make a few adjustments. Not very accomodating. But my girlfriends and I had a good time because we were together. I would go again. Just wasn't pleased because I think they could have adjusted without it costing me extra. It didn't happen

Cynthia S.

Verified

Report|a month ago

The tortellini is awesome!

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From Our Editors

Boats slowly glide across the blue water of the Oakland-Alameda Estuary, their white sails puffing and billowing in the gentle breeze. Some dock in guest berths reserved for guests of Pasta Pelican. With its windows overlooking the water, this restaurant provides the perfect location for gazing at the passing vessels or shouting at the seagulls for refusing to wax your boat.

Inside, glowing embers flicker from the dining room's stone hearth, lighting the dark wood tables where guests savor classic appetizers or soups, such as the clam chowder. Pastas dressed in rich sauces or tender cuts of veal, chicken, and seafood make up the main course.
Each Friday night, live musical performances draw crowds to the dance floor in Pasta Pelican's lounge as bartenders pour glasses from the extensive wine list.

Groupon Guide

In spite of ramen’s minimalism, the pursuit of a perfect steamy bowl of noodles in San Francisco is nearly limitless. Many San Franciscans will insist that you have to leave the city to truly find the best ramen, but that would mean overlooking a number of hidden gems nearby. Remember: slurping is mandatory.
Hapa Ramen might not have a brick-and-mortar location yet, although one is in the works. This relative newcomer has popped up all over town, and holds to the belief that ramen is as much an art as a science, where precision counts for a lot. The $12 Big Daddy Ramen Bowl combines chicken, slow-cooked pork and a perfectly prepared egg, and Hapa’s even been known to concoct novelty bowls of cheeseburger ramen on occasion.
One step ahead of Hapa is noted hipster hangout Ken Ken Ramen, which successfully made the transition from pop-up to permanent address. It might have truncated hours, but this Mission District ramen house offers wide varieties, including a nightly special as well as multiple vegan options – although you’d never err by doubling up on the pork, and pairing it with one of Ken Ken’s several sakes.
Given Americans’ penchant for downing a late-night bowl of noodles after a solid dose of partying, it makes sense that one of the more beloved ramen bowls would be found at Izakaya Sozai restaurant in the Inner Sunset. The ritsu tonkotsu, or pork broth – with pork belly added, of course – is the only ramen on offer here, but it wins near-universal acclaim.
All too often, tourist-clogged Union Square is where good taste goes to get watered-down. That could not be less true at Ramen Underground, the Kearny Street ramen emporium that is something of a hole-in-the-wall. Fans of fire will tell you that the habanero ramen is not to be trifled with, but once the heat dissipates, the noodles reveal themselves to be flawlessly executed.
If house-pickled bamboo shoots and sixteen-hour broth sound about right to you, then Ramen Izakaya Goku is your kind of place. Amid a menu thick with delicacies such as monkfish liver and fried burdock root, the clam-and-garlic ramen swims in a complex shoyu broth. All that flavor, and you never even had to leave the city.

Oysters are ubiquitous at San Francisco restaurants. The City's Pacific setting makes it one of the best places to imbibe on several different types of bi-valves, whether they are harvested locally from Drake’s or Tomales Bays or flown in from the East Coast or Canada. Oysters typically cost about $3 each at fine dining establishments, but there are deals to be had where they can go for as little as $1 per shellfish. Below are our favorite locales to shoot up a dozen or more. Since we’re BarFlys, we’ve highlighted the places that also have a full bar to take in a cocktail or two while slurping on the briny snacks.
Waterbar | 399 The Embarcadero
Waterbar has an excellent oyster raw bar, offering over a dozen varieties. We prefer to dine at Waterbar before 6 pm, while the daily oyster special is $1 (still just $2 after 5:30 pm). With their fresh, high quality seafood, it’s a great place for a weekend brunch, especially with the $1 oysters. The spectacular views of the bay and the Bay Bridge add to the overall experience.
Farallon | 450 Post St #4
The big sister restaurant of Waterbar offers an excellent daily happy hour in their Jellyfish bar. Farallon's Six Before Seven menu features several different bar bites and drinks, including a killer Manhattan, each for just $6 as long as it’s ordered before 7 pm. Locally harvested Drake's Bay oysters need to be ordered by the half dozen for $6, but would you want any fewer?
Hog and Rocks | 3431 19th St
The City’s first and only ham and oyster bar is serious enough about bi-valves that it makes up half its namesake. A rotating chef’s choice of $1.50 oysters are featured during their weekday daily happy hour from 5-6 pm and all day Sunday. Start with the oysters, but be sure to make your way to their selection of fine hams, or any of the other great gastropub fare. With a lively bar scene serving excellent whiskey and cocktails plus great food, this Mission spot is a local favorite.
Café des Amis | 2000 Union St.
Café des Amis is Bacchus Management Group’s bistro with an excellent raw bar, located in the heart of Cow Hollow. Weekdays from 4-7 pm and during brunch on Sundays, a featured oyster can be had for $1.25 each. Always delivering fresh and perfectly shucked shellfish, this is a great place to shoot a dozen or more oysters. A decent Bloody Mary is the perfect brunch drink to accompany the salty bites.

Most Top Chef finalists launch their restaurant careers right after their time on television ends. Not Casey Thompson—she spent seven years after season three traveling, all the while thinking hard about what she wanted in a venue. She met farmers, built relationships, and finally opened Aveline (plus its cocktail bar sibling, The European) in June. As the result of so much careful planning, the restaurant truly embodies Casey’s vision, both in the space and on the plate.
One key part of that vision? Pigs. Casey loves to use almost every part of them, including the head. In honor of Aveline’s recent launch, we asked her about her fondness for pork, her cooking philosophy, and some of her go-to spots in San Francisco.
GROUPON: One ingredient that crops up on the menus at Aveline and The European is pork. Specifically, pork from the pig’s head—pork jowl, pig cheek, pig ear. What do you like about this ingredient?
CASEY THOMPSON: In general, I love any animal that tastes good from head to toe! As a chef, it’s really beneficial for me to use different parts of an animal that might otherwise be underutilized. It keeps costs down and provides guests with the opportunity to try things they may not otherwise try.
There is a lot more marbling in these parts than you might think, and there are a variety of different textures in specific parts like the ear.
G: Do you think that pig face is trending right now?
CT: I don't know. I try not to pay too much attention to what’s “trendy.” I just want to make food that tastes good, and if it means using parts of an animal that are unfamiliar to most people and [then] educating people about them, I’m happy to do so.
G: If someone hasn't tried any part of the pig’s head, where should they start?
CT: I think a good place to start is with pig cheek—it’s rich and it braises perfectly! Confiting a pig cheek [at home] is easy. The most difficult part is probably finding the product, but your local butcher can help with that.
G: Are there other pig dishes in San Francisco that you like?
CT: The pork at Kokkari is unreal, and Namu Gaji does a pretty impressive job too!
G: Aside from cooking with pig parts, you’re also an advocate for sustainability and the environment. Where does that passion come from?
CT: I have a job that impacts the environment, and as such, I have a duty to make sure that my staff and I do all we can not to add to the overwhelming issues we’re already facing.
I am also a firm believer in good husbandry. All animals deserve to live a good life, especially if they are giving us theirs for nourishment. It’s our responsibility as humans to recognize that.
G: Some of your dishes have original ingredients with a cool, earthy vibe. I’m talking about the "ham snow" and "chicory soil" on Aveline’s menu. Can you tell us more about these?
CT: Environmental elements in a dish add interesting flavors. The chicory soil contains nori, breadcrumbs, candied cashews, and chicory—all pretty earthy, you’re right. Now, the ham snow is highly technical stuff: we freeze ham, grate it over cold amberjack, and call it snow!
G: You’re also creating the menu over at The European, your bar-and-lounge project with Adam Wilson. It seems like the snacks have more of an updated comfort-food feel. Is The European the other side of Aveline's coin?
It absolutely is! There is a secret kid side to me with that menu and, really, it’s us having fun. I do think we have the best burger—it is so good. I want people to use both spaces! Come and eat at The European!
G: To close out, can you share some of your favorite San Francisco spots to grab a bite?
For coffee: Réveille Coffee Co.
For breakfast (and guilty, greasy pleasures): San Jalisco
For lunch and dinner: Kokkari, Kin Khao
For after-hours drinks and eats: Rye, Tradition, Le Colonial
For outdoor dining: The Ferry Building, Slanted Door, Cavallo Point, Coqueta
This interview has been condensed and edited. Photos courtesy of Casey Thompson. The European photo by Andi Fisher.

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